The configuration and the like of a general high-temperature processing furnace that carries out a high-temperature process on a reinforcement fiber in a vacuum atmosphere will be explained.
The general high-temperature processing furnace has a furnace body. The furnace body is able to be internally vacuumed (decompressed) and the internal temperature thereof is adjustable (able to be increased or decreased). On one widthwise side of the furnace body, a first bobbin chamber is arranged to set (accommodate) therein a feed bobbin around which a reinforcement fiber is wound. The inside of the first bobbin chamber communicates with the inside of the furnace body, and similar to the furnace body, is able to be internally vacuumed. Arranged inside the first bobbin chamber is a first bobbin support member to detachably support the feed bobbin so that the feed bobbin may rotate around an axial center (of the feed bobbin).
On the other widthwise side of the furnace body, a second bobbin chamber is arranged to set (accommodate) therein a take-up bobbin that takes up the reinforcement fiber after a high-temperature process is carried out on the reinforcement fiber. The inside of the second bobbin chamber communicates with the inside of the furnace body, and similar to the furnace body, is able to be internally vacuumed. Arranged inside the second bobbin chamber is a second bobbin support member to detachably support the take-up bobbin so that the take-up bobbin may rotate around an axial center (of the take-up bobbin).
Operation of the high-temperature processing furnace with the configuration mentioned above will be explained.
The inside of the furnace body, the inside of the first bobbin chamber, and the inside of the second bobbin chamber are vacuumed and the internal temperature of the furnace body is increased to a predetermined processing temperature and is kept thereat. The feed bobbin and take-up bobbin are rotated around their respective axial centers in synchronization with each other. As a result, the reinforcement fiber is fed from the feed bobbin into the furnace body, is high-temperature-processed in a vacuum atmosphere, and is taken up by the take-up bobbin.
If the feed bobbin becomes empty during the high temperature process of the reinforcement fiber, a reinforcement fiber joining operation (connecting operation) is carried out as mentioned below.
The internal temperature of the furnace body is decreased to an external temperature (atmospheric temperature). The inside of the furnace body, the inside of the first bobbin chamber, and the inside of the second bobbin chamber are opened to the atmosphere. The emptied feed bobbin is detached from the first bobbin support member and a feed bobbin around which a reinforcement fiber is wound is attached to the first bobbin support member. Namely, the feed bobbin with the reinforcement fiber is set in the first bobbin chamber. The take-up bobbin that has taken up the high-temperature-processed reinforcement fiber is detached from the second bobbin support member and an empty take-up bobbin is attached to the second bobbin support member. Namely, the empty take-up bobbin is set in the second bobbin chamber. A front end of the reinforcement fiber wound around the feed bobbin is attached to the empty take-up bobbin, to join (connect) the feed bobbin and take-up bobbin to each other. The inside of the furnace body, the inside of the first bobbin chamber, and the inside of the second bobbin chamber are vacuumed. The internal temperature of the furnace body is increased to the predetermined processing temperature and is kept thereat. Then, the high-temperature process of the reinforcement fiber is able to be resumed.
Related arts concerning the present invention include Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H07-197264 (Patent Literature 1) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-157632 (Patent Literature 2).